I understand the internet forum is only a small percentage of the vehicle population, but hearing some of these testimonys has me a little disheartend.

Things do break and as long as it's under warranty and replaced for free that's all well and good. What does it for me is that we are a one vehicle family and can't afford to have our vehicle sitting in the shop getting sorted out.

The JGC is a fantastic vehicle to test drive (nothing is probably going to break on a car off the lot with 5 miles on it).

The sales guy we had that went with us on the test drive did mention the horrible reliability on previous generation JGC. And he stated that this generation is one that they are very proud off and is on par with Toyota and others. I found it funny that mentioned Toyota, he hadn't seen the vehicle we pulled up in, and it made him blush when we finished the test drive and started loading the car seat back into the Tacoma, lol.

I've had quite a few different brands of autos, and for me, the Jeeps (1997 Wrangler, 2001 Cherokee) have, overall, been two of the most reliable vehicles I've had. The only other vehicle that has been as reliable is... a Toyota.

Between the two, I believe it is actually pretty hard to go wrong. But in both cases, simpler is better.

I would like to add that I am currently looking at the JGC as well. While I have put a lot of time researching this vehicle, I only started to look at the Dealer network in my area that would sell/service it. I can only say that the preliminary results of this search is NOT encouraging in my area. I have seen far more negative comments on the web for the majority of the Jeep dealers in my area than positive. I have not discounted this vehicle entirely, but given the few warranty issues that seem to have a common thread here and other forums, the dealer buying expereince/service is just as important to me as a good price.

BTW, I am looking at the SRX, the X5 and the ML350. While these vehicles are marketed as Luxury SUV, I believe that the Overland(and Summit) are trying to crack this clique. These vehicle have a far better Dealer Marks for Sales and Service here than the Chrysler/Fiat/Jeep dealers.

I have no direct experience with any of these dealers, so take these comments with a grain of salt. I am not trying to put down (or build up) any of them. I intend to find out for myself in the coming days, but I do use forums such as this one to do as much legwork before I go into battle.

I understand the internet forum is only a small percentage of the vehicle population, but hearing some of these testimonys has me a little disheartend.

Things do break and as long as it's under warranty and replaced for free that's all well and good. What does it for me is that we are a one vehicle family and can't afford to have our vehicle sitting in the shop getting sorted out.

The JGC is a fantastic vehicle to test drive (nothing is probably going to break on a car off the lot with 5 miles on it).

The sales guy we had that went with us on the test drive did mention the horrible reliability on previous generation JGC. And he stated that this generation is one that they are very proud off and is on par with Toyota and others. I found it funny that mentioned Toyota, he hadn't seen the vehicle we pulled up in, and it made him blush when we finished the test drive and started loading the car seat back into the Tacoma, lol.

Ironically it was a similar experience with me at a local dealer that I mentioned prior. He actually saw my 4Runner and asked how I liked it, miles, etc. When I mentioned that its been a perfect car with 215k+ with no problems, etc, he said that GC are just as reliable, always have been, and I could put 200k on a GC without any problems either. I immediately gave him my b.s. look and basically just ignored the comment...it wasn't worth getting into a debate with him.

My biggest concern was also reliability. My 4Runner never had one single electrical or mechanical issue that required a trip to the dealership in the 6 years I owned it. Its only problem was an exhaust that stank of sulfur all the time (and not just under heavy acceleration).

I was really worried about the JGCs ability to hold up to daily use. Because of that I went with the Platinum warranty.

Well so far (2,500 miles) I haven't encountered one issue. No squeaks, leaks, or breaks. I'm crossing my fingers but so far, she's been great.

My biggest concern was also reliability. My 4Runner never had one single electrical or mechanical issue that required a trip to the dealership in the 6 years I owned it. Its only problem was an exhaust that stank of sulfur all the time (and not just under heavy acceleration).

I was really worried about the JGCs ability to hold up to daily use. Because of that I went with the Platinum warranty.

Well so far (2,500 miles) I haven't encountered one issue. No squeaks, leaks, or breaks. I'm crossing my fingers but so far, she's been great.

That's great snipe....how would you compare it overall to your 4runner in terms of how it drives? (I've read/heard that the GC is like driving a luxury sedan compared to the truck like feel of the 4runner) My 4runner has the same exhaust smell (smells like rotten eggs), which is most noticeable during warmer months with the windows down. Anyway, can't wait to test drive it tomorrow...also will be test driving a Touareg but seriously doubt I'll consider that given the sticker price and given the same reliability concerns.

My 2011 overland has been the best new vehicle so far, no initial defects, unlike my last 2 $50k diesel trucks. 26k miles this year in all weather, with no issues, including quadralift. It is refined, comfortable, powerful, and capable in all conditions. The vehicle is going to be capable of winning you ever, dealer and service experiences unfortunately will vary, best of luck there.

Not at all the vehicle you're looking at now, but just so you know, I've owned my '97 Grand Cherokee since Dec of '00 when it had 41k miles, and it currently has 157k on it.

NEVER has it left me stranded anywhere due to a mechanical problem. The ONLY time I ever needed it towed was when someone slashed 3 of the tires -hardly the Jeep's fault.

Has it had repairs? Sure, but nothing very major that I haven't been able to handle myself. I think the last time I had to bring it to a shop was back in 2005 or so, and only for lack of time to fix it.

And take a liook at the ZJ forum sometime....mine is barely broken in compared to some of them over there...200k is nothing for them.

As far as Toyotas, yes they have a great reputation, but with the seemingly weekly recalls as of late, plus the Tacoma frame problems, that reputation is a bit tarnished. All carmakers have thier ups and downs....even look at Honda, the new Civic rated a "Not Recommended" by Consumer Reports.

As far as VW, I wouldn't trust one of those as far as I could throw it. EVERYONE I've known that has had Jetta has had some mech problem with it, and with the direction they're going lately, which is less vehicle content and old tech to make the price lower, you have to wonder what's going to happen to thier already marginal reliability. Really, the 2.0 is standard, and it's back to a rear beam axle?? There's a winner.

It's too bad, you have carmakers with once good reputations passing off crap on the strength of thier name, while others, such as Jeep, make great vehicles but can't escape past history. (Ok, the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee are great. The Liberty and Compass/Patriot ARE in fact crap. Not necessarily unreliable, just poor designs that don't compete well in thier market classes)

Anyway, you can't go wrong with a Jeep GC. It'll get you anywhere, in comfort and style while doing it.

I too debated between a new T4R and JGC. the jeep drives sooooo much smoother and the hemi is a beast. In the 4 runner you feel the box on frame, the jeep feels much more secure, plus the options on the jgc blow the 4 runner away. Reliability was a concern also, I have 13k on mine w/o problems. All vehicles will have problems but if you maintain it. It should be fine.

Thanks Mike (great post) and to everyone else who responded to my initial thread. I must say, Jeep owners are without question the most loyal and knowledgeable car owners I've ever encountered. I've been to myriad forums over the years (Toyota, VW, Volvo, etc.) and none of those guys can hang with the folks here I've encountered thus far. Very impressive. It's funny, my own parents whom I alluded to earlier (both own mid '00 GC and have had many problems); even they are still loyal to Jeep and, though they think I'm nuts for jumping from Toyota to Jeep, strangely I feel they are proud of me for at least considering Jeep in my purchase.

I am in a similar situation in that I am looking at the GC, but Chrysler history making me hesitant. I do not care about brand loyalty, I like to choose what brands have something to prove which is why I am looking at the American car companies.

I am only looking at a base Laredo 4x4 with a couple of packages because I dont really need all the extra stuff and hoping with less stuff less chance to go boom. Yet as much as I loved the test drive I am still hesitant to pull the trigger on getting one. I wish I could get like a month long trial because shopping for a new car sucks.

I am in a similar situation in that I am looking at the GC, but Chrysler history making me hesitant. I do not care about brand loyalty, I like to choose what brands have something to prove which is why I am looking at the American car companies.

I am only looking at a base Laredo 4x4 with a couple of packages because I dont really need all the extra stuff and hoping with less stuff less chance to go boom. Yet as much as I loved the test drive I am still hesitant to pull the trigger on getting one. I wish I could get like a month long trial because shopping for a new car sucks.

How about going to Enterprise when they have deals and rent one? When I was there picking up a loaner they had Laredo's as well as Overlands and were very curious to know what was being repaired on my Overland. I asked the manager how they were making out with the 2011s JGCs and he said better than average than the rest of his Chrysler products and no major repairs so far.

Funny you should mention loyalty. On Consumer Reports, the JGC was rated 16% below average for reliabilty. With the question of "would you do it all over again" the JGC scored an 80%. 80% of people that bought a JGC would buy another one.

For me personally if any vehicle had more than a few warranty reliability issues I wold most likely never go back to that vehicle or even company for that matter.

And now in the news they have recalled 3.6l engines due to debris from manufacturing process that may cause the engines to seize

New member here. Really appreciate this post as I've been considering a T4R vs. JGC as well. I can absolutely echo the sentiment that the Jeep community seems to be on a different level, having done some extensive lurking on a few forum sites. Ha!

In any case, have you thought about particular trim levels? The JGC offers an entirely different level of amenities past the T4R Limited, but on the other hand the Toyota offers better reliability, a body-on-frame, and aftermarket support.

Ugh, tough choice - and I know I'm not helping; but just wanted to let you know that you weren't alone with the endless internal debates and was interested in what you eventually chose. Good luck!

PS. I know this may not apply to your situation since time off the road & sales is a very, very bad thing, but as far as I know - Toyota doesn't offer a lifetime warranty.